Expansion-controlled apparatus.



.No. 810,255. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

s. W. BOUGHTON.

EXPANSION CONTROLLED APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 111511.20, 1905.

x d a I WITNESSES: [NVEN/TOR, gay gsymozzrZz/Fzlgfifzz W @M ATTORNEY.

I nnrrnn sra'rns PATENT @FFKCEQ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed March 20, 1905. Serial No. 250,926.

To 0]] 1071/0112 it may concern:

Be it known that l, SEYMOUR W. BOUGH- TON, a citizen of the United States of Amer ica, and a resident of Cleveland, in the county of (uyahoga and State of Ohio, have inventcd certain new and useful Improvements in Expansion- Controlled Apparatus, of which chances for accident and for the apparatus to get out of order.

Accordingly I have endeavored. to make the said controlling apparatus embodying my invention as simple and eflicient as possible in order to adapt it to the described purpose and to other uses to which it may be put.

I am aware that many types of apparatus for automatically actuating gas cut-offs have previously been devised; but l. have avoided the disadvantages inherent in many of these by reason of the use therein of destructible parts and the presence of more or less com plicated mechanism, which reduces the certainty that such devices will act in an emergency.

My improvement is based upon the principle of unequal expansion of indestructible coacting parts formed of difiere-nt metals, and the apparatus herein shown as embodying my invention comprises such an expansion device, which is associated with and normally holds a detent, controlling in turnv a weighted lever adapted'to actuate and close the controlled gas-valve.

i shall be able to make my invention much more readily understood by making reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred form of apparatus embodying my improvements, wherein Figure 1 is a view in elevation, although somewhat diagrammatic in character, illustrating a particular application of my improvements, Fig. 2 is aitransverse sectional view, partially broken away, depicting the expansion device Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are details of the detent and retaining-hook in associa tion with the expansion device, and Fig. ii is an enlarged detail illustrating the partsn lit tle more clearly and lshowing well in diagram the application of an electrical alarm apparatus to the expansion device.

Throughout'each of the several figures of the drawings I have employed the same char acters of reference to indicate similar parts.

Referring first to the general features shown in Fig. l, n. will be readily recognized as a hotair furnace, and b as a meter which, it will he understood; registers the amount of gas burned by the furnace-or other apparatus connected with the same system of piping. Acut off valve 0, equipped with a long weighted lever-arm c, is provided to check the flow of gas through the service-pipes when the said lever-arm is permitted to fall to a substantially horizontal position. EX- tending through the casing d of the furnace is an expansion device e, which preferably is positioned a short distance above the dome of said furnace and accordingly is subjected to the radiation of heat therefrom whenever the fuel-gas ignited in the fire-pot. Said expansion device comprises an outer iron pipe (4', having a screw-threaded adjustingplug and its'lock-nut upon one end. A contained brass rod c is provided therein, abutting against the adjustable plug, and extending to the rear wall of a slot 6, out through the pipe to receive and hold a detent Upon the adjacent end of said expansion device is provided a rota table thumbpiece a, carrying a retaining-hook 0, adapted to enter the eye of the detent or wedge f and temporarily retain it in position. The said key or detentf may take the form of a solid "wedge or pin adapted to fit readily within the slot or opening in the pipe; but prefer ably i employ the bifurcated spring-like key shown in the drawings, which is formed of a relatively heavy gage of brass or sheet-steel, having a central slotf and an eye or opening f in order to provide for a considerable variance in the relative expansion of the two members of said expansion device. These members i may here observe, of course, may be formed of other metals or suitable materials having different coefficients of expansion; but I prefer to employ brass and iron, as stated, deeming them best adapted for my present purposes.

in Fig. ii l have indicated diagrammatic y an alarm device compvising a source of current g, an :Liitilll-lklll n, a manual switch i, and circuit-closing springs Ir, respectively, mounted upon, Ell electrical conucction with,

or openin of the detentfor temporarily holding it in p ace within the expansion device.

I may'now describe in a manner making perfectly clear the function and operation of the several parts of the apparatus herein shown. It will bereadily appreciated that the expansion device should be so adjusted that at ordinary temperatures the detent or key f may be easily inserted in and removed from its slot or receptacle cut therein, this being accomplished by the screw-adjustment provided at the left end thereof. Securedin a furnace or other heat-producing apparatus, however, said expansion device very shortly becomes heated, and the brass rod, which is in line with the rear wall of the slot, expands in proportion to the degree of heat and grips or securely holds the ke in position, so that it may not be remove therefrom by ordinarymeans. A chain m, running over pulleys m m connects the key and the weighted lever of the cut-off valve, and under these conditions the latter is held in-a raised positron and maintains the valve open; but upon a decrease in the heat of the furnace below a redetermined point the contraction of the drawal of the key and the weighted lever falls, thereby closing the gas valve. This would most commonl occur upon the reduction or cessation in t e flow of gas. Under these circumstances the contact-springs k would immediately be closed together and energize the alarm-circuit and ring the bell connected therein.

In order that the key may readily be held in place initially until the expansion device 1 shas acted under the influence of the necessary degree of heat to grip or securely hold arotatable hook e", which maybe turned into position to engage the key and bodily hold it against the opposing influence of the weighted lever within its receptacle or slot.

It may be desirable, however, to provide an alarm whlch will tend to prevent the permanent enga ement of the hook with the key, thereby iu l fying the effect of my improved safety devlce, and accordingly I have equipped said hook with an insulated electrical contact Z, brought into engagement with the key at such time as the same may be rotated within the eye of the latter, which serves to close a multiple circuit connected with the alarm and sound the bell until the expansion device has sufficiently acted to hold the key and its retaining-hook is withdrawn. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 will give an adequate idea of said hook.

' Various modifications in the precise apparatus shown and in its application to this and other purposes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, as will the omission of certain details set forth, and I accordingly claim my improvements and their application, together with such modifications as may be suggested by mere skill, reserving to myself the following:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with two expansion members formed of materials having different coefficients of expansion, the same being adapted to be subjected to heat, of a retained part or detent associated therewith and held in place thereby, self-actuating mechanism, and connecting means operatively coupling said mechanism and detent, normally withholding the mechanism from actuation, substantially as described.

2. In a heat-controlled appliance, the combination with variably-expanding members, of a detent or retaining part normally gripped or held in place thereby, an opposing part associated with and tending to release said detent, means for connecting said parts, and mechanism adapted to be actuated by the opposing part upon the altered condition of the expanding members, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a gas-burning device, of an expansion device associated there- )rass rod results in the release and withwith comprising two members having different coefficients of expansion, a detent normally held securely by said expansion device during the prevalence of a predetermined temperature, a valve controlling the gas-sup- Z ply to the aforesaid device, mechanism associated therewith normally tending to close the said valve, and connecting means operatively cou ling said mechanism and detent,

substantia ly as set forth.

4. The combination with a gas -burning stove or furnace, of an expansion device com- ,prising metal parts unequally affected by said detent or key in place, I have provided 1 eat, a detent or key firmly gripped or held by said device during the prevalence of a predetermined temperature, a valve or cut-off and. mechanism associated therewith tending to close the same, and means connecting the detent and the valve; whereby the latter is normally held in an open position during the continuance of a'predetermined temperature in said stove or furnace, substantially as set.

forth.

5. In an expansion device, the combination with the brass and-iron expansion members, the same affording a receptacle for a key or detent, a bifurcatedor spring-like detent readily inserted in the appropriate recess afforded by the expansion members under conditions of relatively low temperature, an opposing part sustained but normally tending to Withdraw said detent from the expansion device, and means for operatively coupling Isaidhpart and the detent, substantially as set rt 6. In an expansion-controlled appliance, the combination with a tubular part and a coacting part formed of metals having a different coefficient of expansion, a suitable gripping-recess being provided therebetween, of a detent or wedge inserted in said recess and normally gripped by the expansion members while subject to a predetermined temperature, self actuating mechanism normally withheld from operation while the detent is held in place, and means for operatively couplin said mechanism and the detent, substantia ly as set forth.

7. In an expansion-controlled appliance,

the combination with a tubular part and a coacting part formed of metals having a difierent coefficient of expansion, a suitable gri ping-recess being provided therebetween, of a detent or wedge inserted in said recess and normally gripped by the expansion members while subject to a predetermined temperature, self actuating mechanism normally withheld from o eration while the detent is held in place, an means for operatively coup ling said mechanism and the detent, and electrically-actuated alarm apparatus brought into operation upon the release of the detent, substantially as set forth.

8 In an expansion-controlled appliance, the combination with a tubular iron member, of its ooacting brassmember contained therein, a slot or recess being provided in the said tubular member, means for adjusting the relative positions of the expansion members, a spring-like detent or key inserted in said slot or recess adapted to conform to varying degrees of expansion of the gripping parts, and a retaining part for temporarily holding the key in place, substantially as set forth.

9. In an expansion device, the combination with the brass and iron expansion members, the same affording a receptacle for a key or detent, a bifurcated or spring-like detent readily inserted in the appropriate recess afforded by the expansion members under conditions of relatively low temperature, an opposing part sustained but normally tending to withdraw said detent from the expansion de vice, and a retaining member for temporarily holding the ke or detent within its receptacle, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Cleveland, this 18th day of March, 1905, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SEYMOUR W. BOUGHTON.

Witnesses:

RoBT. M. MORGAN, ALBERT LYNN LAWRENCE. 

